The first two of three county budget hearings, required by state law because the millage rate is slated to go up by .86 mills, drew few people in the morning and a scattering more for the evening hearing.

I say there is more fat to cut before raising property taxes. Why is it those of us that OWN property in this county, instead of renting, or gov. subsidized, are always stuck paying the bills??? We get NOTHING for our taxes as it is. Why are the county road workers not out mowing or picking up our roads? If there is no money for fuel, what DO they do? Look at 5 Points Rd. Trash everywhere, and I guess I will have to mow the right of way with my own tractor. Dig deeper, and cut more. We won't miss what we don't have.

I pick up the trash along my own stretch of road. You really need to ask yourself, though, why so many Georgians toss their empty fast food containers, beer bottles, and other trash out of their car windows. We should not have to pay county workers to pick up trash off the road ways. Folks should have enough respect for each other to take of their trash properly.

I assume you are a Democrat, and receiving a goverment check! You have no forsite of telling them to raise taxes. I assume you do not own a home and have to pay the taxes they will raise! I have a home and I do not want any more taxes..................

do you realy expect the gov. subsidized welfare brood mares to stop having babbys from 4 or five different men and actually get off their lazy fat [email protected]#'s and get a job?come on!!get real man.the folks who run the gov are not going to cut anything from them because they want to be re-elected.the obama minded voters are going to keep sitting around with their hands out knowing as long as they keep people like him in office they don't have to become productive citizens of society.

I am so tired of being a minority in Lamar County. How do I get free breakfast, lunch, food stamps, medical bills paid, free housing and have money to have my hair did, nails did, go find a baby daddy, free child care. Instead I get to pay taxes, more taxes, assessments, mortgage, insurance, deductibles on my insurance, more insurance and more taxes. Why?, for no other reason except that I have always worked and paid my way. Is it to much to ask that the property owners get a break?

Everyone is complaining about their taxes going up, yet an opportunity to lower our taxes flew right by when we voted back in the SPLOST. Many people said then that they voted for it to prevent their property taxes from rising. I told y'all then that property taxes were going up anyway. Did you listen? NO!

If I see one more Leadership Lamar class picture I will puke. What do they do? Does Chamberline give a rats [email protected]@ about this county? Then why is his gated manse for sale? When is this county going to get their collective shi^
together and declare we are broke, in a mess and begin an austerity program. Don't cut my right away, fire everyone with an assistant title, cut pay 10% on and on. This property owner has had enough.. Again Hearn and Glass you are a shame and disgrace.

now, now, children....you know in a republican county run by republicans, in a republican state run by republicans, that taxes arent going to raised.......and i didnt know until now that before obama there werent any food stamps, welfare, child care and poor people getting help....what did we do with all that extra money before obama

let me start by saying i rent in this county and i dont care how much your taxes are. the rent man gets check every month from obama for his ungodly rent prices. we lack services and are in need of public transportation like atlanta. we need you to pay more taxes so you can serve us citizens better. we are just as important as you are.

i hope you are someone on here being sarcastic but i doubt it .ill be glad to pass the rent increaase on to you, i dont get a check from obamie. im tired of paying dfor your kids to go be taught they come from monkees in the public school system. oh yea that new elevator going up to king kennys new office sure looks good . wonder how much this is costing me.

I was going to stay out of this thread, but Mr. fish... you brought me in. The rent man doesn't exactly get his check from Obama. The only way that check comes from gov't is if you are in subsidized housing or you are on welfare. It is not my job (or anyone else's for that matter) to support you.

If you want more services and public transportation like Atlanta, move up there. I have no interest in paying more taxes so you can collect your check every month.

You are right. You are as important as everyone else. That means work for income like everyone else, and be responsible with your income like everyone else. Not just everyone else should support you.

And, to Anonymous #13, the commission has already raised the taxes for this year. From the looks of the meeting room while they were considering the increase, not many people cared enough to go to the meetings.

When a private business has less money coming in because of lower sales or lost business, it cuts the fat anyway it can. The first thing to go are the non essential employees, and cutting out the purchase of many things not needed to run the business. If this county was run like a business in the private sector, we would not be in this mess. You don't employ people just to give them a job, you employ people because they are needed to do a task. There is room for cuts in this county, no matter how difficult it may be. Raising taxes in a time of a downturn in the economy is not the thing to do. I, like many others, have less disposable income at this time. Commissioners, listen to the voters.

so when is the best time to raise taxes....if times are good there is no need to raise taxes.......if a business is having trouble and the bills are going up, then he has to increase revenues with increase prices.....this is what we have to do, increase revenues with more taxes.......Romney is the only democrat running for president, and Obama is the only sane republican running for president

I'm not sure, it would take an attorney to advise how to go about an action to block the county, but I think State law specifies that if a certain percentage of the tax role is contested then they can not collect taxes. If everyone files to contest the taxes they would be blocked and forced into reducing taxes or borrowing money. Do this for a couple of years and you could bankrupt the county and they would be forced to reduce spending. We can complain all we want but until we organize as a group and take direct action to change who is in elected office or to block those making these decisions we will not win.